This article is one of a series covering neck pain — causes, symptoms, and the treatments we use at Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. For the complete overview, see the full guide:
→ Neck Pain Treatment in New York City — The Complete Guide
Ah, the Information Age! We love our little screens, don’t we?
Those little screens are ever near, lighting up our lives with all kinds of vital information, like what Kim K word to the Grammys. We don’t want to miss a minute!
And while we’re gathering all that vital information, our heads are bent over as we cradle our little friends in our hands. We text in this position, too. Sometimes we spend hours every day with our heads bent over those little screens.
And that’s a problem.
Maybe you don’t think so, but your neck sure does. Even if it’s not bothering you now (a little stiff maybe?), it will eventually and you will be one of the legions of tech addict’s second work nightmare – “tech neck” (the first being internet outages).
So, I’m going to share some thoughts with you about relieving the strain and pain of tech neck.
Change Positions
Instead of having your device in your hand, supported on your thighs, hold it up to your face. There. Feel any strain on your neck and shoulders? No. That’s because you’re now in a position which is more neutral, place less strain on the structures of your upper body. Your head is centered over your shoulders and not bowed before your device.
Remember – your head can weight as much as 13 pounds. That’s a lot of weight to be dangling over a phone and not very comfortable or healthy for your neck, especially.
Make Some Rules
Constant contact is a 21st Century disease which is costing us a lot of our overall wellness. That’s about more than tech neck. It’s also about anxiety, eating disorders and isolation, especially in young people. For our purposes, though, it’s important that you take breaks from technology to do other things.
Your mobile device can be a useful tool but it’s also a rabbit hole. Stay on the sane side of the rabbit hole and protect your neck from strain, while you’re doing it.
Supportive Exercises
People who use technology extensively at work as well as in their personal lives need a little extra help, so I’m including some movement therapy ideas to keep your neck healthy.
While sitting up straight, gently tuck your chin down, slowly, deliberately and repeatedly. Don’t force the movement. It should seem as though you’re doing a slow nod (and people could take that the wrong way, so close the office door). This stretches the small muscles which support your posture in the neck. Do this throughout the day as often as you can.
Tilt your head right and allow it to fall as far as it can, then hold. Repeat on the other side. This gentle stretch should be down with the shoulders relaxed. Repeat often, throughout the day.
Simple, quick fixes like these can keep your cervical spine mobilized and your supporting tissue warm, preventing it from become stiff, which can hurt.
Need help with tech neck? Back & Body Medical New York is your multi-disciplinarian pain relief source.
Dr Shan Sivendra MD is the founder and medical director of Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. A board-certified medical doctor, certified acupuncturist, and Director of House Physicians at St. Barnabas Medical Center, Dr Sivendra has been practicing in New York since 1995.
He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Saint Barnabas Medical Center (affiliated with Mount Sinai School of Medicine) and received the Resident Research Award for three consecutive years.
Dr Sivendra has a background spanning internal medicine, pain management, and conservative spine rehabilitation, and was licensed in both the US and the UK.
At Back and Body Medical, he leads a multidisciplinary team of chiropractors, physical therapists, and acupuncturists dedicated to helping patients recover from pain without surgery or unnecessary medication.